Pet Travel: Air Canada clarifies policy on emotional support and psychiatric service animals

Air Canada has issued a clarification on their definition of emotional support and psychiatric service animals. This is the first airline to address this classification of animal. Here is their policy:

Dogs as emotional support or psychiatric service animals
If you wish to travel with a dog* as an emotional support or psychiatric service animal, you will need to ensure that your animal is harnessed. You must also provide supporting documentation in the form of an original letter on the letterhead of a licensed mental health professional (e.g. a psychologist, psychiatrist or licensed clinical social worker), dated within one year of your departure date.

The letter must confirm that:

You have a mental or emotional disability recognized by the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

You need your dog for emotional or psychiatric support during travel and/or at destination

The person who prepared the document is a licensed mental health professional

You are currently under the care of the licensed mental health professional who prepared the document

The letter must also provide information on the mental health professional’s license (i.e. type of licence, date issued, and issuing authority).
*NOTE: Air Canada does not accept animals other than dogs as emotional support or psychiatric service animals.

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Pet Travel: Air Canada clarifies policy on emotional support and psychiatric service animals — 53 Comments

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The rules are getting stricter for US-based airlines for ESAs. You are correct that not all people need them, but there are those that really do. The issue is training (or lack thereof). All pet owners with emotional disabilities should make sure their pets are trained to behave and are socialized before flying.
Susan

Emotional support dogs… ya right scam to fly free dogs….what about folks on the plane who are allergenic or terrified of dogs?
What if the dog start to howl or get sick? Basically selfish people
Blind, ok you need the dog. Otherwise the dog goes via air freight…

Debbie – we have not heard of a legitimate ID card related to ESAs. The reason for this is because there is no central organization that registers these pets. Commercial airlines will ask for a professional physician’s note.
Jason